eyes are windows into the soul
by wolfgoddess1990
Summary: a romantic story of how Ilia learns Link's secret, the story is a bit different then the game so don't get mad. also spoilers to those who haven't completed the game yet.


**The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess**

My name is Link and I lived a quiet life in Ordon village, until that one fateful day when I was first pulled into the twilight, by a Twilit messenger, and got turned into a wolf.

This is when I meet my first friend in the twilight area, Midna, she helped me escape the dungeon, and meet with Princess Zelda. I went on an epic quest to bring back the children of the village, and return the tears of light to the light spirits of Hyrule.

When I collected the last fused shadow, I thought my journey would end, but that's when Zant, the false king of the twilight world, appeared and cursed me, and hurts Midna with a full force of light from the spirit Lanayru.

After Midna is healed and I traveled to the sacred grove, I found the master sword the evil magic shard that Zant cursed me with was removed, and Midna decides to keep the shard in order to turn me into a wolf whenever I want, and back again.

After our journey to find the mirror of twilight, we were shocked to find it cracked into four shards, one of which was still in the frame. Now we must find the remaining three shards and fix it.

I teleport to Kakariko Gorge, just to take a break from what I had to go through, and this is where I make my biggest mistake of my life…

I lay down in the shade of a tree, still in wolf form, and relax for a bit. For some strange reason Midna can understand me in my wolf form, I guess she could hear my thoughts when I speak to her in my mind, because there could there be no way she could speck wolf, that would be too much of a coincidence.

"Midna, maybe you should rest, you look like you're going to faint." Midna, "Link, we should be out there looking for the mirror shards." "Well not to be rude but I went through four dungeons, the first three to get the fused shadows for you."

"Well I…" "And after all that hard work, Zant comes and steals the fused shadows from you." "That's true but…" "Then I go through another dungeon just for you, to bring you to the mirror of twilight, only to find out that Zant got there first and cracked it into four shards, placing each in a location hard to get to." "I… I… I'm sorry."

I look up at her, to see tears in her eyes. "Your right, I didn't stop to think how much you want though just for me. You did all the hard work while I just stayed in the shadows." "Hey don't cry; I'm sorry for being so snippy." "No, you deserve to have a break after what I put you though."

"Midna, look at me. I know how urgent it is to get the mirror shards, but I don't think they are going anywhere anytime soon." She turned to me and said "You really think so?" "Well Zant probably has bosses guarding the shards, so unless you can think of anyone else who could defeat them, we don't need to rush."

Wiping away her tears Midna chuckles, "Well I know one person, but he's taking a break right now." I laugh so hard tears started to fall. "Midna, you say the funniest things. Came lay next to me." "I would love to." After a short nap I wake up to find the sun setting over the horizon.

I nudge Midna, "Midna wake up, you got to see this." "What? Oh…" Her eyes watch the sun lower even more. "Reminds me of the twilight world, it's beautiful." "The hour of twilight, that what we call it." "This is what the twilight world always looks like, forever in the hour of twilight." "Midna, do you wish to go back home? Is that why you want to rush?"

"Actually I'm in no hurry to return home looking like this." "So why are you so urgent to find the shards?" "I guess I want to see what Zant, did to my home." "I never thought of that." "Well now you…" "Shhh. Did you hear that?" "Hear what? I don't hear anything." I turn my ears all around a feat impossible in human form.

"I guess I was hearing…" Before I could finish however bulblin riders, and bulblin archers riding kargarok's surrounded us. "We're trapped, there's too many. What do we do Link?" "I don't know, but I will fight anyways." I stand to face them on and attack the closest enemy but I quickly turned around and pushed Midna when I noticed something, the last thing I hear is Midna's voice shouting, "Link look out!" I felt pain all over my body as I blacked out…

I instantly teleported us to the closest spring I could think of, the one in Kakariko village. I gently laid his body in the spring's water while slowly pulling out all the arrows. "I got to go slow with this, or he might bleed to…" I didn't want to ever finish that sentence; I just closed my eyes and shock all thoughts of him dying out of my head.

"So many wounds." I tried my best to not cry as I brought up the last thing I saw… Link was starting to attack the closest enemy when he saw the archers aiming at me; he quickly turned around, and pushed me out of the way. The last thing I said to him was, "Link look out!" But it was too late; he got hit with all the arrows that where aimed at me.

I watched in horror as he fell right in front of me, looking like he was dead. I never before had anyone do this for me; he sacrificed his own life to save mine. Never before have had I ever felt so furious, and I just snapped. I unleased my full fury on all the enemies by blasting them with a dark pulse of energy.

I blinked when I had enough of that memory; I took one look at Link's wolf body and saw the spring water wasn't healing the wounds fast enough. I was at a lost for what to do, he needed medical attention and he couldn't get it as a wolf. I thought many times too simply change him back, but I was afraid his body couldn't handle the transformation.

Then I cried, I cried so hard when I heard a noise coming from behind me, not wanting to be seen and not wanting to leave him I quickly hid in his shadow and watched as that girl, Ilia came toward us. I didn't know what she was going to do and I didn't expect what came next.

My name is Ilia, and I'm from Ordon village, I got my memory back thanks to Link, my best friend. He's been gone for a long while but I tried not to worry too much, he has grown up so much since I last saw him, so I knew he could handle himself. It was just another day in the village, when nights feel we were told to stay inside.

But one night I thought I heard something, crying coming from the outside. But the crying was very faint, like it was far away. I look out the window to see something that completely shocked me, a black and white wolf lying in the spring, completely covered with arrows. I turned to tell Renado, the village shaman that I was going to check out something.

Before he had a chance to even ask what, I was running out the door. I could slightly hear him call my name, but I was not listening, I kept my eyes on that wolf. There was something about that wolf that made me want to run to him. Even though my mind was saying, "stay away it could kill you", my heart was screaming, "Go save that wolf!"

I reach the wolves body and look around for the owner of the crying I heard, not seeing anyone I decide to try to pick up the wolf. Bad move, he's heavy and the more I try to drag him the more harm it seems to do, when I thought I was going to cry from frustration I see Renado coming towards me.

I quickly put him down and stand in front of his body, ready to defend the wolf from harm. But when I see he had a smile on his face, I was confused. "Ilia, you want to save that wolf?" "Yes, I don't know why but I do want to save him." "Then I will help you carry him inside." I just couldn't thank him enough, and we carried him to the bed where we had the Zora boy.

"Ilia, you have a big heart, bigger then I have ever seen, but why help him?" I was finishing raping the last bandage, when I answered, "My heart told me to go save him, and he needed my help. So I listened and did." "Are you not scared that he will kill you when he wakes up?" "No, I don't think he will."

Colin, Beth, Talo, and even Malo came to see the wolf. Beth, "He looks so big." Talo, "He looks like his in pain." Malo, "He looks like he could eat me whole." Colin, "What's that on his leg?" Ilia, "It's a shackle, it what they put on you to keep you from escaping." Colin takes a closer look at it. "Someone must have broken the chain because I can't see him breaking it himself." Ilia, "Yes it seems to be that way." Beth, "The question is who broke it?"

Talo, "The better question is who put him in there in the first place?" Malo, "Where ever 'there' is." Talo, "Malo's right, where was he imprisoned, and how did he get out?" I looked at all of their faces to read what they were thinking, "Well he could have been imprisoned in the dungeon beneath the castle." That's when they all looked at me with shocked faces. Beth, "As in Hyrule castle?" Talo, "Near the biggest city ever?" Malo, "How do you know?" Ilia, "I just do."

They left after that, but I stayed behind I started to change his bandages and see how well the wounds where healing, they were healing at a good pace. I picked up a cloth that was socking in a bowl filled with spring water and started dabbing the wounds. I was being careful, so not to hurt him, and I felt like I was being watched.

I watched Ilia clean, and bandage Link's wounds. Even though see couldn't see me, she acted like she could feel me. I saw her eyes scan the room as if looking for something, but then they want back to looking at Link. I wanted him to get better, I wanted her to keep helping him, but more than anything I wanted to help.

But that would mean showing myself to her, and she could freak seeing me appear out of nowhere. So I just stayed hidden, and helpless to do anything, but watch to see if he got better, I thought I saw his leg twitch but it was just Ilia holding the chain in her hand. "How do I get this off you? It can't be comfortable having this on your leg."

I picked up a long rod and another with a hook at the end and started to pick the lock on the shackle. "Almost have it, I think I got it." I was picking at that lock for a full hour until it unlocked. "I did it? … I did it!" Renado, "What did you do Ilia?" I turned to see Renado holding a small pot in his hand. "I picked the lock on his shackle, and it worked it's off." I hold the shackle up proudly like I won something.

"May I see that for a minute?" I had it to him and he examines the shackle closely. "It looks old, older then normal." "What's that mean?" "It means this thing hasn't been used in quite some time." "I see… what's that you got there?" He hands me the pot, "Its special medicine I made, apply it on his wounds when he wakes up." "What does this do?" "It will help bring down any pain he will feel."

I was left alone again; I guess they trust the wolf won't hurt me, or they are too scared to stay around him. I saw that he started to stir and his eyes opened slowly as he faced me. I saw the bright blue color of his eyes, as my mind said, "Have I seen those eyes before?" He gave me a shocked look as he tried to stand up, but he did it too quickly as he then gave a painful look.

"Try not to move so much you'll hurt yourself. Lay back down, and I'll apply this medicine to make you feel better." He laid down as if he could understand and didn't move as I applied the medicine on him. When I finished I looked at him again, "Stay here, I'm going to Renado to get more. Try not to move so much ok?" A simple nod was all he gave as I left.

I woke to find I was in terrible pain, I opened my eyes to find Ilia right there looking at me. Of course my first reaction was pure shock; I jumped up too quickly as pain shot though me. I looked at Ilia as her head tilled a little, her look said, "Have we meet before?" She talked to me gently as she rubbed medicine on me; I of course did what she said. She left to go get more and I turned my head to see Midna.

Without warning she lunched herself at me and hugged me tight. "Uh Midna… I can't… breath." "I'm sorry." She let go as I gasped for air. "I'm just so happy to see you're ok." She hugged me again but gently this time, her face buried into my neck, she whispered, "I thought I lost you." I looked at her and wrapped my head around her body. "Thank you."

I slept like this, looking like a mother wolf protecting her child from the cold. I woke to find that Midna was still asleep, and Ilia wasn't back yet, I guess she's taking to Renado, about something. I also hear soft crying coming from Midna, I nudge her with my head until she woke up. "I heard you crying, want to talk about it?"

"Link why did you do it?" "Do what?" "Why did you save me?" "Midna, you're my friend, I just couldn't stand to watch you get hurt." "But you could have died, all because of me." She cried into her hands as I looked at her. "Link, you should have just let them shoot me, I'm not worth saving." "Don't say that, look at me Midna." She lifted her head slowly and looked at me. "Everyone who is good is worth saving. I'm telling you this because you're good."

"No I'm not, I used you. I treated you like my servant; I even made you my servant. All because I wanted the fused shadows, and now it's the mirror shards." "Don't cry, Twilight princess." "Don't call me that, I'm hardly a princess." "But that's who you are, no matter what you look like." "But I'm not deserving of the title." "You saved me; I don't think anyone else more deserves it then you."

"Thank you Link, I really appreciate that." "Hello my friend, I see you feel asleep." I turned my head to see Ilia. I nodded my head. "Renado gave me some more, are you feeling any more pain?" I shocked my head no. "Good to hear it. You know you have very interesting eyes, they seem familiar." "That's because they are."

Midna whispers, "She can't hear you Link remember?" "Oh right, see doesn't speck animal." "I brought you some food, but Renado told me not to. He said you would become more dependable on humans for food. He said you might even steal food from humans." Her laugh brings back happy memories. "You know what I said, 'A few meals won't hurt.' So I brought you this."

She places a large cooked piece of meat in front of me and I just look at her. "I know you wolves like raw meat, but this was already cooked when I got it. It's from the Goron's at death mountain, they are actually really good cooks." I smell the meat as my stomach growls; I start to eat it, she's right they are good cooks. "Looks like someone is very hungry, I wait to change your bandages then."

Well that was my first meal as a wolf, and it wasn't too bad. Ilia started to change my bandages while humming a tune; it was one I knew all too well, the horse call her favorite sound. She even made me a horse call for my journey. In fact it was that very object that brought back her memories. "There all done. You are healing up nicely; just another day or two and we can set you free."

The one thing I hated more than people screaming at the sight of me as a wolf was Ilia treating me like a wild animal. Of course who could blame her? Looking like this, I would treat me the same way. "You know I kind of was expecting that I would have had to tie you down so I could finish helping you. I thought of you moving away or showing more residence, but you're acting like a well-trained pet."

Darn it I should have acted more wolf-ish, no wild beast is this well behaved I'm so stupid. Well maybe this won't be so bad, one less person hurting me, or screaming at me. I don't even do anything to provoke them; they just attack for no reason, or scream at me for no reason. Just because I'm a wolf doesn't mean I don't have feelings you know.

Ilia yawned a lot and started to leave; I gently bit her sleeve and tugged at it. "You want me to sleep in here tonight?" I nodded my head and pointed to the bed next to me. "I guess it will be okay, you can probably tell I'm exhausted, right?" I nod my head again, and not being able to talk to her really sucks.

As she slept Midna appeared from her hiding place, "You want to tell her don't you." "Yes and no, yes I want to tell her thanks for everything, but not to tell her everything." "I see you like her more than a friend, don't you." "I loved her from day one. It hurt me when she couldn't remember me." "What about princess Zelda? Don't you have feelings for her?" "Well she was beautiful in a regal way, but I think I prefer the simple beauty of Ilia."

After a long sleep I feel a slight rub on my side, I wake to find Ilia rubbing the medicine on my side. "Looks like you're almost healed up, but you can rest for another day before we let you go." She looked in my eyes again and I swear she was being pulled into them the way she was looking at me.

I just couldn't help it, one look at his eyes and I felt myself being drawn into them. I entered a vision like trance one minute I see the wolf, next minute I'm looking into the eyes of my best friend. "Hey, Ilia. I'm sorry for hurting Epona. I didn't mean it, really." "It's ok Link, I forgive you."

"Want to take a walk with me?" "Sure, I would love to." As I walk with him I see the way he looks at me, his eyes full of love and caring. "There is something you should now, and I find it important that I tell you." "What is it? You can tell me." "You now that time you felt like you were living in a nightmare, and then everything felt right again?" "Yes, it was awful."

"Well the truth is the first time I found you, you couldn't see me." "I don't understand." "You were in a twilight area, people who walk into the twilight turn into spirits." I just blinked at this; I was a spirit and didn't know it. "But the thing is you don't realize you turn into a spirit. But when I'm in the twilight I don't turn into a spirit."

"So, what do you turn into?" he turned around to face me. "You already found that out for yourself." I wanted to ask what he meant by that when I looked at where we were. We were right at the edge of a long black wall, I reached out to touch it and my hand went right though. Not a wall, more like a portal, but a portal to what.

"This is the way to the twilight zone, and I'm afraid you can't go in." Just then an imp like creature came out. "Hi Link, ready to go in?" "Just a minute Midna, I have to go now, but I will be back." He nodded his head as she went in and a giant orange hand came out and grabbed him and pulled him in.

I didn't know what I was thinking but I jumped in after him, I felt funny as something glowed on my hand, the tri-force, I've read about it. But then I saw Link, but he then looked like he was in pain as the twilight surrounded him and he turned into the wolf I cared for.

The vision ended with the wolf turning to look at me with Link's eyes. I then blinked a few times, and there was that wolf again, looking at me with Link's eyes. Was that real? Or just a fantasy? Then I heard it Link's voice, "Are you ok?" I step back and look around, there was that Imp creature Midna, lying beside the wolf. Why didn't I notice her before?

I think I'm going crazy, I thought I heard Link's voice, I can see Midna. Then Midna laughs and says, "Remember don't bother, she can't hear you." "I know she can't but saying it just feels right." The words came not from his mouth but rather I was hearing his thoughts. "She looks a little pale, maybe she needs to sit down."

He walks over to a chair and push's it towards me. He then taps it with his paw. "Here sit down, you look ready to faint." I sat down and just watched him walk over and talk to Midna again. "She looks like she's seen a ghost." "Maybe she's just tried again from taking care of you again." "Well maybe, but she looks really sick." "Maybe she needs rest, try to make her sleep again. If anyone can do it, you can Link."

When I heard that name, and his voice, I knew right away that was no vision; I was looking into his soul. "Link? Is that really you?" He turned his head around to look at me. "Did she just say?" I run over and hug him, I now there was something about this wolf. "Can you hear us?" I look over at Midna and nod my head slowly, "What happened to you."

Of all the things that could have happened, this was the best day of my life. Ilia finally found out about me being a wolf, and she was okay about it. "Ilia, how did you figure it out?" "It was your eyes; never change those eyes Link, promise?" "Ilia, I couldn't change them if I wanted to."

So after I was healed and released I traveled to finish my quest, I got the shard from the snowy mountains, the one in the past, and even the one found in the sky. I went into the world of twilight, saved it from Zant, and then traveled back to go to Hyrule castle to face off with Ganondorf. But how that went you have to find out yourself.


End file.
